It’s the Jazz Dancers and we’re back in Shanghai- only not for long because we’re about to board our flight home to America. We couldn’t be more thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Shanghai and Guangzhou to promote the NBA and Jazz. We are sad to be leaving China but walk away with numerous happy memories: the NBA Nation event, the Visa VIP dinner, the Shanghai Citizens Game, learning about Buddhism and its history as we experience various temples, tea sampling, touring the cities’ shopping districts and lush gardens, speaking to the local people, and of course getting to taste the succulent Chinese food. We have learned so much about the Chinese culture from this trip- knowledge that can only be gained from personal encounters with the kind people here. Go Jazz!!

I hope you are relaxing as much as we are here in Guangzhou! We’re lucky enough to have some free time here so we took to the pool! During our “spa day” as we so fittingly named it, we had a luxurious breakfast, got soothing massages, and relaxed by the pool and jacuzzi to swim, read, and soak up the sun. The next day it was back to work! We traveled to a distant part of Guangzhou to perform and attend the Visa VIP dinner. In a classy grand ballroom we danced two routines for the sponsors then drew names for a contest where we attempted to pronounce the Chinese names correctly…they kindly laughed with us! We joined the VIP’s for a deluxe dinner then handed out posters and took pictures. The evening was a fun event! Today we’re off to perform at the NBA nation- we can’t wait! Talk to you soon fans!!

Going to the zoo was another fun activity! The biggest thing we noticed while we were there was the playfulness of all the animals. The complete opposite of lethargic, they ran, jumped, pounced, climbed, and wrestled with one another. We observed the monkeys the longest because of the carefree way they interacted among themselves. Later, we even got to feed the giraffes- a first experience for all of us!

Standing at the front of the Guangzhou Zoo.This is a picture of us with the Chinese Panda... That was just one of the many many countries of panda's displayed.

Hey fans! I’m excited to tell you about the NBA Nation event we’ve helped out at! It’s a fun, active setup near Guangzhou University with stages and basketball courts. There’s a lot of action at this event including singing performances, basketball tournaments, shooting contests, and the one we took part in: dance performances! We performed for the enthusiastic crowd throughout the day as well as signed posters, handed out giveaways, and took pictures with fans. During one of our performances it even started pouring rain which only added to the bliss. It was a great experience to socialize and get to know the NBA fans here in Guangzhou.

Good morning jazz fans! We just finished our long, relaxed, and luxurious breakfast here at the Westin Hotel. We spoil ourselves with thick french toast, steamed dumplings, meat buns, pastries, Earl Grey tea, yellow watermelon, and omelets made to order. Mmm! Yesterday we journeyed to the top of Baiyun Hill. We took an exciting cable car ride to the top and explored the aesthetically pleasing rainforest of sorts.

After a breezy ride down the hill in a large golf cart, we went to the Canton Tower where in a speedy elevator we shot up to the 108th floor! The view was breathtaking and we ended our fabulous day with a river cruise on the Pearl River. That’s all for now!!

After a long stroll on the bund in Shanghai with a light breeze refreshing our faces, the jazz dancers packed up and flew to Guangzhou. It is the third largest city in China and filled with lush, green vegetation. Included in our day of sightseeing was the Liurong Temple where in the midst of magnificent trees stands a towering pagoda.

The culture here is very different from what we are used to, but we love the enthrallment of being in the center of it all! The people here are extremely kind to us and ask for their pictures to be taken with us so frequently that it almost makes us blush! We are excited to see more of Guangzhou in upcoming days!

The Jazz Dancers have arrived safe and sound in Shanghai, China and we are loving every minute here. After the 14 hour flight we sat down to an authentic chinese dinner where we ate spicy tofu and watched a traditional chinese play. The next morning we exercised, as we dancers are trained to do, in the beautiful wellness spa at our hotel. Breakfast is a real treat here: omelets, grapefruit, freshly squeezed juices, pastries, dumplings, pan seared buns, and even baked beans! We had our first practice at the Oriental Sports Arena for the Shanghai Citizens Game and got to observe the other dancers participating in the program.

Last night we went to the circus where we saw everything from trampolinists and motorcyclists to contortionists and acrobats. Today we visited the Jade Buddha Temple and learned of the Chinese peoples dominant religion. After we went to the silk factory and former French Quarter we relaxed and strolled through the Yu GardenŠbeautiful. We’re excited for the rest of our stay here in China!